A. Jean Ayres

Light touch and Holding Interventions

Light touch and holding strategies promote body awareness and social-emotional skills in children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. Deep pressure touch is a more common therapeutic intervention. However, light touch and holding are valuable therapeutic options for promoting attention, body awareness and social-emotional skills. Body awareness, stress and somatic pain challenges negatively impact behavior in […]

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3 Popular Neurologically Based Treatments

Occupational, Physical and Speech/Language therapists often include popular neurologically based approaches in their interventions for students with behavioral and developmental challenges. Brain Gym, Bal-A-Vis-X and Sensory Integration Intervention are three popular neurologically based approaches to promote neurological development for improved functional skills. While many clinicians, parents and families report that these interventions are clinically useful

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Occupational Therapy in Adolescent Mental Health

I was recently honored to present Grand Rounds at Solnit Children’s Center, the adolescent psychiatric hospital where I work. GrandRoundsOT Outline Our dynamic transdisciplinary team over the past 5 years was able to significantly reduce the use of restraint and seclusion.OT role in Restraint Reduction Solnit which was celebrated by making a bench for the hospital grounds

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Neurological Foundations of Sensory Integration

Current neurological research guides therapist’s clinical reasoning for using sensory integration intervention. Recent research proposes that sensory-motor activities help typical youngsters develop internal models of their body and voluntary movements. For example through repeated touch and movement of their thumb as well as learning to ride a bicycle, children develop internal models. With repeated practice

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School Occupational Therapy for Developmental Trauma

School occupational therapists emphasis on therapeutic relationships, mental health, sensory processing, attachment, development, purposeful activity and self-regulation offer a unique contribution for improving the behavior of students with developmental trauma disorder. School behavioral problems related to developmental trauma are seen in students who have experienced early chronic abuse. Many students with developmental trauma difficulties have

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Environmental Adaptations for Improved Behavior

Environmental adaptations are an important yet underutilized way of helping individuals with behavioral, developmental, and sensory modulation challenges. While environmental adaptations are often included in positive behavioral support and relaxation programs, they are not given sufficient attention. A third of children with significant sensory modulation differences were found to have major psychiatric diagnoses http://www.fyiliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/re-examiningsensoryregulation.pdf Individualizing and teaching

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My Perspective on Sensory Integration

I frequently use Sensory Integration/Sensory Processing Intervention in my work as an occupational therapist with clients who have severe behavioral, sensory processing and developmental challenges. I get criticism both by professionals who question the validity of sensory processing intervention and those who dislike my integrating it with other treatment approaches. It is time to transcend

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